scholarly journals Viability of Agricultural and Forestry Residues as Biomass Fuels in the Galicia-North Portugal Region: An Experimental Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 8206
Author(s):  
Juan Jesús Rico ◽  
Raquel Pérez-Orozco ◽  
Natalia Cid ◽  
Ana Larrañaga ◽  
José Luis Míguez Tabarés
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Approach ◽  
Fine Particles ◽  
Fixed Bed ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Biomass Fuels ◽  
Wood Pellets ◽  
Elemental Analyses ◽  
Forestry Residues ◽  
Air Staging ◽  
Vegetal Species

In this study, an experimental approach was utilized to assess the viability of three biomass fuels in a small laboratory-scale combustor. Three feedstocks currently considered as residues were selected based on their widespread presence in the Euroregion Galicia-North Portugal, and some were modified to improve their behavior by removing fine particles or adding substances to increase the melting point of the ashes. The experimental facility was a highly modifiable, fixed-bed combustor with air-staging capabilities and a wide array of sensors intended to measure a large quantity of parameters. A series of tests was performed to cover the widest range of total air flows possible for the facility, with values of 0.223, 0.279 and 0.334 kg/m²s being used, while 30% of the total air flow enters from below the combustion bed and 70% over it. Results from the proximate and elemental analyses show high proportions of ash in every fuel compared to commercial wood pellets, and empirical deposition indexes suggest a high risk of fouling and slagging. Testing confirmed the analysis predictions, resulting in the kiwi- and vine-based fuels not being suitable for a facility without ash elimination systems. Some modifications of the gorse fuel showed improved behavior compared to unmodified gorse fuel, namely, the addition of a 2% mass fraction of CaCO3 and the removal of fine particles. The former prevented ash sintering, and the latter greatly decreased the fouling of the heat exchanger tubes. These results suggest that some of the vegetal species studied might be suitable for their use in small-scale biomass burners, and besides the accuracy of one of the deposition indexes used is confirmed.

Performance Analysis of the Rotating Biological Contactor Process Based on Particle Fraction and Improvement of Final Effluent Quality

1991 ◽  
Vol 23 (7-9) ◽  
pp. 1457-1466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuhiro Tanaka ◽  
Minoru Tada ◽  
Mitsuo Ito ◽  
Noritugu Shimizu
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Solids ◽  
Fine Particles ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Particle Fraction ◽  
Effluent Quality ◽  
Rotating Biological Contactors ◽  
Activated Sludge Processes ◽  
Fraction Method ◽  
Final Effluent

Biofilm processes are, in general, suitable for small-scale wastewater treatment plants. However, final effluent qualities of biofilm processes are not as good as those of activated sludge processes due to fine particles remaining in the effluents. To improve the effluent qualities of the Rotating Biological Contactors (RBC) process, the behavior of fine particles through the process and the removal of fine particles with solids-liquid separation methods, rapid filtration and coagulation-filtration, were investigated using the particle fraction method. The results are as follows:–An increase of the hydraulic retention time (HRT) in the RBC reactor reduced the amount of fine particles and increased the amount of coarse suspended solids of 44 µm or more in diameter, which are easily removed by clarification. Thus, the final effluent qualities were improved by the increase of HRT.–Suspended solids in effluent from the RBC process at the standard loading are so fine that improvement of the quality is not expected by only lowering the overflow rate of a final clarifier. In contrast, rapid filtration or a coagulation-filtration process is effective. The supended solid concentration and transparency of the effluent from the final clarifier was improved by a factor of two to four, and then BOD of the final effluent was removed by 40-85%.

scholarly journals Development of a simplified gas ultracleaning process: experiments in biomass residue-based fixed-bed gasification syngas

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Frilund ◽  
Esa Kurkela ◽  
Ilkka Hiltunen
Keyword(s):  
Activated Carbons ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Fixed Bed ◽  
Carbonyl Sulfide ◽  
Gas Analysis ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cleaning Process ◽  
Medium Temperature ◽  
Gas Cleaning ◽  
Adsorption Affinity

AbstractFor the realization of small-scale biomass-to-liquid (BTL) processes, low-cost syngas cleaning remains a major obstacle, and for this reason a simplified gas ultracleaning process is being developed. In this study, a low- to medium-temperature final gas cleaning process based on adsorption and organic solvent-free scrubbing methods was coupled to a pilot-scale staged fixed-bed gasification facility including hot filtration and catalytic reforming steps for extended duration gas cleaning tests for the generation of ultraclean syngas. The final gas cleaning process purified syngas from woody and agricultural biomass origin to a degree suitable for catalytic synthesis. The gas contained up to 3000 ppm of ammonia, 1300 ppm of benzene, 200 ppm of hydrogen sulfide, 10 ppm of carbonyl sulfide, and 5 ppm of hydrogen cyanide. Post-run characterization displayed that the accumulation of impurities on the Cu-based deoxygenation catalyst (TOS 105 h) did not occur, demonstrating that effective main impurity removal was achieved in the first two steps: acidic water scrubbing (AWC) and adsorption by activated carbons (AR). In the final test campaign, a comprehensive multipoint gas analysis confirmed that ammonia was fully removed by the scrubbing step, and benzene and H2S were fully removed by the subsequent activated carbon beds. The activated carbons achieved > 90% removal of up to 100 ppm of COS and 5 ppm of HCN in the syngas. These results provide insights into the adsorption affinity of activated carbons in a complex impurity matrix, which would be arduous to replicate in laboratory conditions.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Economic Viability of Agricultural Pellets to Supplement the Current Global Wood Pellets Supply for Bioenergy Production

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 2263
Author(s):  
Mahmood Ebadian ◽  
Shahab Sokhansanj ◽  
David Lee ◽  
Alyssa Klein ◽  
Lawrence Townley-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Wood Pellets ◽  
Logistics System ◽  
Global Marketplace ◽  
Biomass Logistics ◽  
Production And Distribution ◽  
The Cost

In this study, an inter-continental agricultural pellet supply chain is modeled, and the production cost and price of agricultural pellets are estimated and compared against the recent cost and price of wood pellets in the global marketplace. The inter-continental supply chain is verified and validated using an integration of an interactive mapping application and a simulation platform. The integrated model is applied to a case study in which agricultural pellets are produced in six locations in Canada and shipped and discharged at the three major ports in Western Europe. The cost of agricultural pellets in the six locations is estimated to be in the range of EUR 92–95/tonne (CAD 138–142/tonne), which is comparable with the recent cost of wood pellets produced in small-scale pellet plants (EUR 99–109/tonne). The average agricultural pellet price shipped from the six plants to the three ports in Western Europe is estimated to be in a range of EUR 183–204 (CAD 274–305/tonne), 29–42% more expensive that the average recent price of wood pellets (EUR 143/tonne) at the same ports. There are several potential areas in the agricultural pellet supply chains that can reduce the pellet production and distribution costs in the mid and long terms, making them affordable supplement to the existing wood pellet markets. Potential economic activities generated by the production of pellets in farm communities can be significant. The generated annual revenue in the biomass logistics system in all six locations is estimated to be about CAD 21.80 million. In addition, the logistics equipment fleet needs 176 local operators with a potential annual income of CAD 2.18 million.

scholarly journals Performance testing of a downdraft biomass gasifier stove for cooking applications

2018 ◽  
Vol 204 ◽  
pp. 04011
Author(s):  
Woranuch Jangsawang
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Thermal Efficiency ◽  
Fixed Bed ◽  
Performance Testing ◽  
Rural School ◽  
High Potential ◽  
Producer Gas ◽  
Biomass Fuels ◽  
Heating Value ◽  
Gas System

A down draft biomass gasifier stove with four steps of cleaning gas system was developed to produce the producer gas for replacing LPG for cooking applications in lunch project for the student in rural school area. This project has been implemented at Bangrakam primary school that located at Pitsanuloke Province, Thailand. The biomass fuels used are Mimosa wood twigs. The gasifier stove was developed based on down draft fixed bed gasifier with the maximum fuel capacity of fourteen kilograms. The performance testing of the biomass gasifier stove showed that the heating value of the producer gas is 4.12 MJ/Nm3 with the thermal efficiency in the percentage of 85.49. The results from this study imply that it has high potential to replace LPG with producer gas.

scholarly journals SPECIFIC EMISSIONS FROM BIOMASS COMBUSTION

2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavel Skopec ◽  
Jan Hrdlička ◽  
Michal Kaválek
Keyword(s):  
Calorific Value ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
The Other ◽  
Biomass Combustion ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Biomass Fuels ◽  
Rape Plant ◽  
Specific Emissions

This paper deals with determining the specific emissions from the combustion of two kinds of biomass fuels in a small-scale boiler. The tested fuels were pellets made of wood and pellets made of rape plant straw. In order to evaluate the specific emissions, several combustion experiments were carried out using a commercial 25 kW pellet-fired boiler. The specific emissions of CO, SO<sub>2</sub> and NO<sub>x</sub> were evaluated in relation to a unit of burned fuel, a unit of calorific value and a unit of produced heat. The specific emissions were compared with some data acquired from the reference literature, with relatively different results. The differences depend mainly on the procedure used for determining the values, and references provide no information about this. Although some of our experimental results may fit with one of the reference sources, they do not fit with the other. The reliability of the references is therefore disputable.

scholarly journals Using modeling to select catalyst dilution methods for mass transfer intensification in lab gas–liquid fixed-bed reactors

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 ◽  
pp. 74
Author(s):  
Alberto Servia
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Heterogeneous Catalyst ◽  
Fixed Bed ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Inert Material ◽  
Benzene Hydrogenation ◽  
Liquid Mass ◽  
Fixed Bed Reactors ◽  
Heat Effects ◽  
Liquid Mass Transfer

Heterogeneous catalyst testing methodology at the lab scale must provide intrinsic kinetics data for reactor design purposes as well as the intrinsic activity ranking during catalyst screening in the field of refining and petrochemistry. The significant downscaling of the past century coupled with the increasingly active catalytic formulations may introduce considerable momentum, mass and heat effects in experiments at small scale. Catalyst dilution has emerged as one versatile and robust way to reduce the impact of momentum and heat effects on heterogeneous catalyst testing. This paper presents a methodology based on global phenomena and catalyst dilution modeling to assess and optimize reactor loading techniques for specific problems. More particularly, the aim is to provide catalysts developers and kinetics experts with concrete guidelines for intensifying gas-liquid mass transfer in lab gas–liquid fixed-bed reactors through catalyst dilution. The methodology is applied to the kinetics determination of the oil residue Hydrodemetallation (HDM) and to the screening of catalysts for benzene hydrogenation. Layered dilution, consisting on the split of the catalyst in two beds separated by an intermediate bed containing an inert material of the same size as the catalyst, poorly improves gas–liquid mass transfer. Uniform dilution, based on the direct mixture of catalyst and inert material of the same size, significantly enhances gas–liquid mass transfer as the reactant local consumption per reactor unit volume is strongly reduced. Combinations of both abovementioned dilution techniques can be used with fast and/or high stoichiometric factor chemical systems operated at conversions higher than 70%. A new criterion is proposed to calculate the minimum dilution factor to guarantee negligible gas–liquid mass transfer limitations as a function of conversion, external mass transfer and global pseudo second-order kinetics.

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